Treatment of peat for manurial and other purposes.



Bo'rroMLEY, a subject of the King of Great U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BEECROFT BOTTOMLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TREATMENT OF FEAT FOR MANURIAL AND OTHER PURPOSES.

No Drawing.

To all tokom it may concern Be 1t known Ehat'I, WILLIAM Bnnonorr Britain, residing in London, England, and

whose post-ofiice address is Kings College, in the county of London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Treatment of ,Peat for Man-urial and other Purposes, of which the following is a specificatlon. u

According to this invention peat can be converted into an excellent manure by treating it with micro-organisms capable of pro ducing ammonia. Such micro-organisms are obtainable by known methods from ordi- -nary soil or from other sources such ,as putrefying bouillon.

There are several species of them, such as Bacillus mycoz'des, Bacillus. subtz'lia, Bacterium aerogens and Bacterium fluorescens Ziguefaciens. It is not essential to use a pure culture of any particular species or of the mixed species,-.s1nce other micro-organisms may be present. The

eifect of these micro-organisms on the peat is to convert the humic acidtand humous bodies contained in it into compounds soluble in water and at thesametime to disintegrate the peat so that it is readily distributed. y

A product richer in nitrogen is obtained if nitrogen fixin organisms such as Azotobeater and Baciliits radicz'oola are present in the mass.

In addition to its usefulness as a manure the product forms a read source of the substances commonly classe as humic acid or humous bodies, which have lately found ap-- plication in industry.

There is no difficulty in obtaining a culture of micro-organisms, contain1ng no doubt very many species, suitablefor my invention. 'For this purpose 10-20 grams of fertile soil may be added to a culture medium comprising 1 liter of water,-20 grams of dextrin, 1 gram of dipotassium phosphate, J; gram of magnesium sulfate, 2 grams of calcium carbonate and 10 cc. of bouillon. The scum which forms on the surface of the liquid in the course of a few days is suitable for my invention. Pure culture consisting of any of the individual species that are active for the purpose or mixed cultures may of course be prepared, but this is not necessary so far as is at present known to me.

To the peat or peat material is added wa Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Ju1y 15, 1913.

a condition it may Patented Aug. 4, 1914. Serial No. 779,168.

ter containing the organisms and the mass is allowed to undergo the change involved, for some days. When the peat has been dried, as is the case with certain prepared eat, the amount of water added should sufice to moisten the mass thorou hly. It is not, however, necessary to dry tfie peat, for if this is in its natural wet condition it may be merely sprinkled with the water containing the mirco-or anisms.

The process is prefers ly hastened by adding to the mass a nitrogenous organic material, particularly a weak solution of a soluble nitrogenous organic material, such as albumin, gelatin or meat extract; a solution containing say 025-05 per cent, of an; standard meat extract, for example wi l serve. Such a solution may constitute the liquid in which the micro-organisms may be contained as aforesaid. I have found that a very suitable nitrogenous extract c0nsists of the waste liquor obtained from the boilin of bones.

of the dry weight of the original peat, dissolved or suspended in a little water.

a The saturated peat may be left at a temperature of 24-'-30- C. for three weeks or thereabout and may then be dried. In this at be' applied directly as a manure. Or before it 1s dried it may be i sterilized, such as by live steam, and then further treated with nitrogen-fixingpn' ganisms for increasing theamount of nitrogen in the mass, these organisms being capable of growing in the'altered peat.

If soluble humous substances be required the treated mass may be leached with water as and the solution used directly; for any of the purposes to which humus is applie oran acid may be added to precipitate the humic acid from the aqueous solution. The aqueous extract of the treated peat is also useful as a li uid manure.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. A process of treating peat which consists in adding to the moist peat aerobic micro-organisms capable of producing ammonia and allowing these micro-organisms to multiply in the peat.

2. A process of treating peat which consists in adding to the moist peat aerobic micro-organisms capable of producing a1nmama and nitrogen-fixing micro-organisms and allowing the said micro-organisms to multiply in the peat.

3. A. process of treating peat which consists in adding to the peat water containing ammonia-fixing micro-organisms and drying the material after some days.

4. A process of treating peat which consists in adding to the peat water containing ammonia-fixing micro-organisms and nitroj gen-fixing micro-organisms and drying the 1 material after some days.

5, A process of treatingv peat which consists'in adding to the peat water containing -ammonia-fixing micro-organisms, then sterilizin the material and adding to it nitrogen xing micro-organisms.

6. A process'of treating peat which consists in addin to the peat nitrogenous material adapte "'to'be converted in part into ammonia, then adding to the moist peat ammonia-producing micro-organisms and drying the material after some days.

7. As a new product peat which has been subjected to the action of ammonia-producing micro-organisms and contains soluble humates.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 30 two subscribing witnesses. 6

WILLIAM BEECROFT BOTTOMLEY.

Witnesses: 4

1 OSEJPH' Mnmnn, Geo. J, M, FRANKLIN. 

